Homewood council members call special meeting to consider $16 million recreation center

Less than two weeks before a new city council takes office, two Homewood city council members have called a special meeting Monday Oct. 29 to consider approval of a $16.5 million recreation center.

This story was written and reported by Kyle Whitmire and Ana Rodriguez.

Homewood, ALABAMA -- Less than two weeks before new city council members take their seats behind the dais in Homewood, two sitting council members have called a
special meeting to consider construction of a new $16.5 million recreation
center.

The recreation center had been a key issue in many of the
council races, and the special-called meeting has left some wondering whether
the out-going council, which had its last regularly scheduled meeting on Monday,
is trying to push through a construction deal before leaving office.

"I'm a little puzzled about why the current council feels so
strongly about moving this along quickly," newly elected Council President
Bruce Limbaugh said. "I am puzzled as to why they would think we can't
accomplish the same things ten days from now."

In Homewood, two of the council's 11 members can call a
special meeting. Wednesday afternoon, City Clerk Linda Cook sent out a notice saying
that council members Walter Jones and Fred Hawkins had called a meeting for Monday
Oct. 29 at 6 p.m.

Limbaugh said that he would be happy to address the issue
even before he and the new council are sworn in, if need be. What he's heard,
he said, is that the urgency for the special meeting was to ensure certain
deadlines were met with contractors.

The construction of the new recreational center has its supporters and
opponents. Limbaugh said he has received comments on both sides of the
argument.

"I certainly would have looked at an alternative to spending
the proposed $16 million," Limbaugh said.

The Homewood Parks and Recreation Board has already spent
$600,000 on design work for the new recreation center, and the city has put out
a request for proposals from bond underwriters for the debt.

Out-going Council President Allyn Holladay said that she had
nothing to do with the special-called meeting and that it had taken her by
surprise.

"I did not have anything to do with that, so I'm quite
shocked, and I pointed that out to both of the councilmen who did," she said.

Holladay said that she had exchanged emails Wednesday with
Jones and Hawkins, but she had not talked to them directly.

"In the email I said to them, you both used the word 'respect'
when we met Monday night when talking about the council members who were
leaving," she said. "And I said that both of them should look up that word,
because this is not respect."

Holladay said that she would not attend the special-called
meeting, which she considers disrespectful to the new council members. According
to Holladay, a bond deal to pay for the new recreation center would likely put
the city at its debt limit, leaving little to no resources for other capital
projects.

"Five people who are no longer elected could indenture an
extraordinary debt, and I believe that is totally inappropriate and of poor
judgment," she said. "People who that will impact will have no say."

Efforts to reach Hawkins and Jones by phone Wednesday night
were unsuccessful.